What if the bravest thing a man can do is ask for help? We open with a gut-punch story—kicked out at 17, sleeping in cars, forcing a smile—and follow the thread to a $20 lifeline, a cousin’s spare room, and a lesson pride kept from landing: you don’t have to carry it alone. Then Kenneth Ledale joins us. He’s a Chicago artist, owner of Royalty Rugs, and co-founder of Tuft House, with years in Iraq and Afghanistan, a father who chose to become an artist so his kids could walk through doors already open. His take is raw and clear: admitting PTSD after years of silence didn’t make him smaller; it made his life honest.

We push past the clichés of “provider and protector” to ask why manhood leaves no room for slow days, questions, or therapy. Struggle gets treated like a trophy—trauma bonding in the military, “strong friend” culture in the city—until asking for help feels like surrender. We break that spell with practical tools: say no more often to protect your word, define your edge before you reach it, make explicit asks instead of testing people silently. Kenneth shows how Tuft House turns craft into community—an immersive rug-making experience that restores play, presence, and pride to a city that needs all three.

There’s more beneath the surface: why Black men distrust systems that label boys early and punish vulnerability; how safety talks with our sons steal innocence to save lives; and how legacy, control, and mortality twist our view of weakness. We share scripts for hard conversations, guardrails for relationships, and a reframing of tears as proof you’ve hit the limit of your current tools, not the limit of your strength. Along the way, we spotlight Rose Gold, our mentorship gala, and a giveaway: a custom rug and a Tuft House class to spark creativity and connection.

If this conversation hits home, pass it forward—subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Tell us the one ask you’ve been avoiding and who you’ll call first when you hit your edge. Let’s build a culture where help is human, not a headline.

Join our Patreon Community

Buy some merch and ebooks

IG: @terryroseland & @amansperspective_

THIS EPISODE HAS SOME TECHNICAL SOUND ISSUE THAT WE TRIED OUR BEST TO FIX. It will be resolved next week. As always, we appreciate yall for listening.

Ever wondered why some of us chase people who keep us at arm’s length? We open with a candid story about dating inside a friend group and feeling invisible in public, then follow the thread back to childhood—where love felt conditional, criticism stung, and affection rarely landed. When your nervous system grows up on sharp edges, softness can feel like a trick. That’s how mean partners seem familiar, and elusive partners seem valuable. But scarcity isn’t a love language.

We map the difference between mysterious and elusive: mystery has depth and patience; elusiveness is avoidance dressed up as allure. Breadcrumbing keeps you hungry and quiet—ask for clarity and the crumbs stop. That dynamic builds anxious attachment, inflates ego wars, and punishes vulnerability. One of us admits the hard truth: sometimes the pursuit is about entitlement and shaky self-worth. Rejection can collapse identity, so “winning” a reluctant partner feels like proof of worth. It’s not. It’s a loop.

Along the way, we check in on fatherhood, career momentum, and a community gala that channels donations to students. A detour on car notes and predatory interest reveals the same lesson we apply to dating: stop glorifying the hard path. You don’t earn value by suffering. Healthy relationships look different—reciprocal effort, emotional accessibility, consistent care. We talk ego ties versus soul ties, the courage to share your inner life, and how to build intimacy reps so connection becomes natural instead of threatening.

If you’re tired of hot-and-cold love, listen for the signs of breadcrumbing, the roots of attraction to “hard love,” and the habits that help you choose calm over chaos. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with a friend who needs a nudge toward steady, healthy love. Then tell us: what’s one boundary you’re ready to keep?

Join our Patreon Community

Buy some merch and ebooks

IG: @terryroseland & @amansperspective_

We trade the usual “have fun while you’re young” script for a sharper take on a man’s prime: use it to build skills, character, and a future you can love. From legwork over shortcuts to builders vs vibers, we press for purpose, influence, and timing.

• defining two primes and why the second one matters more
• setting boundaries and saying no when the plate is full
• doing the legwork, avoiding shortcuts, earning skills
• building influence through conduct, not clout
• choosing legacy over toys and trends
• dating with clarity: don’t stay out too late
• the “are we building or vibing” question
• nuanced takes on age gaps, readiness, and values
• boy moms: be the parent, set direction

Patreon time. This is what I was really waiting for. Oh god!

Join our Patreon Community

Buy some merch and ebooks

IG: @terryroseland & @amansperspective_

We unpack why delaying decisions quietly drains time, money, and peace, and how clarity, courage, and iteration change everything. From leaving relationships cleanly to shipping MVPs, we share hard lessons, funny stories, and practical frameworks you can use today.

• the cost of letting life choose for you
• relationship standards, non‑negotiables, and capacity
• how to leave without becoming the villain
• stoicism, counsel, and legal strategy under heat
• career pivots, promotions, school, and time as a resource
• MVP mindset, AI coding tools, and iteration
• hire slow, fire fast, and accountability in teams
• designing environment for focus and momentum
• what men value: peace, respect, and real help
• teaching boys to decide early and own outcomes

Roses Are Dead Patreon: $8 gets you 300 episodes and the full conversation, plus the questions we couldn’t fit here

Rose Gold Gala: March 29, Lakeview, Chicago — donation‑based entry supporting The Village; “all of your ticket goes towards helping support the village and support these young men”

JetQuest Offer: “Use promo code ‘roses are dead’ for $200 off”

Join our Patreon Community

Buy some merch and ebooks

IG: @terryroseland & @amansperspective_

Join our Patreon Community

Buy some merch and ebooks

IG: @terryroseland & @amansperspective_

We trace a messy dating triangle to a clean rule: compare partners to your needs, not to each other, then drill into how to vet for upbringing, conflict style, integrity and boundaries. Along the way we reflect on safety, systems that stick and why “no” reveals the truth.

• knowing yourself before you date: boundaries, negotiables, beliefs
• upbringing patterns and how family roles shape expectations
• conflict green flags and red flags that actually matter
• consistency and integrity when no one is watching
• time respect, clear communication and the power of no
• accountability over blame in past stories
• building systems that compound wins across a year
• speaking up for safety even when it kills the vibe
• advice for boy moms on guiding better choices

Decide, plan, sacrifice, shoot or shoot

Join our Patreon Community

Buy some merch and ebooks

IG: @terryroseland & @amansperspective_

We press the case for saying “fuck the streets,” separate people from a destructive code, and lay out real alternatives that change outcomes. We close the year with a blueprint for men under 25: identity, solitude, money systems, and leadership that starts with tough conversations.

• “Fuck the streets” means rejecting a harmful mentality, not abandoning people
• Survivorship bias in rap and street culture challenged
• Who gets to decide what helps the community questioned
• Information gap versus intelligence in youth explained
• Trade schools, Pell Grants, and$80K outcomes highlighted
• Streaming’s appeal and limits for young creators noted
• Year-end reflections on intentionality over rote consistency
• Faith, setbacks, and grace reframed as normal growth
• Live alone first to build boundaries and peace
• Discipline via routines, early mornings, and self-trust
• Hard conversations as core leadership skill
• Money system with separate accounts and HYSA outlined
• Sales and communication as high-value, portable skills
• Keep one passion unmonetized to protect joy
• Mental health through therapy, journaling, and brotherhood
• Lead conflict repair by crossing the gun line
• Proactive child support to regain control and plan
• Stay single under 25 to lock in goals

Join our Patreon Community

Buy some merch and ebooks

IG: @terryroseland & @amansperspective_

We pull apart self-sabotage with honesty: why we protect ourselves from pain by shrinking our lives, and how discipline, vulnerability, and positive self-talk rebuild momentum. We cover coasting, perfectionism, money myths, cultural tone, and the moving goalpost that demands smarter habits.

• early lessons that prime self-sabotage
• procrastination, coasting and perfectionism as hidden traps
• nervous system patterns that mistake chaos for love
• vulnerability in career pivots and late starts
• inflation, compounding and why breaks are costly
• practical money frames and slow path to millionaire status
• culture, accents and protecting Blackness without erasing self
• audience-building by shipping imperfect work
• positive self-talk as a daily performance tool
• advice for boy moms on speaking life

Subscribe on YouTube, leave a comment and rating, and join us at Rose Gold—pay what you want. “If you pay a thousand dollars, what do you get? Get to help some goddamn kids, man.”

Join our Patreon Community

Buy some merch and ebooks

IG: @terryroseland & @amansperspective_